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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]

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mkenyon

Banned
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67605&vpn=R7970-2PMD3GD5&manufacture=MSI/MicroStar&promoid=1382

$299 for a 7970 with 3 latest games bundle? im jelly you guys got killer deals!

i love my just bought 7970 overclocked, twice as fast as my old 6950. im ready for ps4 and 720 games. pc gaming is great!
I paid $550 for a 7970 on launch day, it hurts.
These fucking teeth are preventing me from lining my mobo up with the screws. What the hell am I supposed to do here? Surely I'm doing something wrong.
Bend them out of the way, but also don't be afraid to be forceful getting your mobo into place.
Finally got my internal lighting done. Everything is now complete! Don't worry mkenyon they are dimmable, I only put them on blinding light mode for the photo.
Soooooo nice. So freaking nice. The blue in it is actually starting to grow on me for nice contrast.
 
They sold out almost immediately online. The site said the store near me was out of stock, but they must have made some not available to be purchased online, because they had a few when I called. So I'd try that.
Yeah I just looked a couple hours ago and the store near me was out of stock. Damn.
 

JJBro One

Member
Need help picking out a MOBO. I'm trying to stay around $700 so I'm hoping come black friday/cyber monday the prices will go down enough. This build is mostly for gaming (battlefield 3, day z, minecraft). I'm having trouble picking a MOBO, I was going to get an ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 but I'm sure there's something out there that's better and in my price range. Any suggestions?
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($23.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($273.56 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer ($24.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech K100 Wired Slim Keyboard ($8.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Logitech G400 Wired Optical Mouse ($35.57 @ Amazon)
Total: $760.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-17 03:01 EST-0500)
 
Need help picking out a MOBO. I'm trying to stay around $700 so I'm hoping come black friday/cyber monday the prices will go down enough. This build is mostly for gaming (battlefield 3, day z, minecraft). I'm having trouble picking a MOBO, I was going to get an ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 but I'm sure there's something out there that's better and in my price range. Any suggestions?
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($23.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($273.56 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer ($24.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech K100 Wired Slim Keyboard ($8.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Logitech G400 Wired Optical Mouse ($35.57 @ Amazon)
Total: $760.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-17 03:01 EST-0500)

Well, you can save yourself between $5-$10 if you get a different brand of CD/DVD drive; Newegg has a Samsung and LG model that are both about $8 cheaper before tax. If you are interested in it, Windows 8 is retailing closer to $70, so you could save a bit more by going that route. If you want to get some awesome RAM that you can overclock very easily, you should seriously consider 2x4 GB of Samsung RAM; it's on Newegg for only a couple bucks more than your current choice, before tax.

Sorry, no idea on the motherboard, just some general suggestions.
 

Stellares

Member
Oh dear, my new computer won't boot or post.
I plug my 24 pin atx connector into the motherboard from my power supply and the components get power and the LEDs turn on, but it does not post.

When I add the 8-pin 12 v connector, the power shuts off completely and I get nothing.

Here are the components I'm using:
Mother board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130637
PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822002
CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286


I do not know if this is a PSU problem or a motherboard problem. Could someone help me out? Thank you.
 
Oh dear, my new computer won't boot or post.
I plug my 24 pin atx connector into the motherboard from my power supply and the components get power and the LEDs turn on, but it does not post.

When I add the 8-pin 12 v connector, the power shuts off completely and I get nothing.

Here are the components I'm using:
Mother board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130637
PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822002
CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286


I do not know if this is a PSU problem or a motherboard problem. Could someone help me out? Thank you.

When you installed your motherboard, did you use the little mounting risers that are included to elevate the mobo off of the case itself? Also, double check that everything is plugged in, and make sure you have the switch on your PSU switched to the "On" position.
 

Stellares

Member
When you installed your motherboard, did you use the little mounting risers that are included to elevate the mobo off of the case itself? Also, double check that everything is plugged in, and make sure you have the switch on your PSU switched to the "On" position.

I'm testing it outside the case right now. I did have it briefly in my case but I used mounting risers. I've checked every connection many times.
 

Jharp

Member
so when I'm closing the lever on the cover of my CPU, how rough should I have to push? Guide I'm reading says everything should happen without any force whatsoever, and everything was great when dropping the CPU in, but the lever is requiring quite a bit of force to be latched over the CPU, and it looks like it's pressing into it.

Thoughts before I proceed?
 
Trying to figure something out with the Cooler Master Elite 120 mITX case I'm buying.

It says it "Works with standard desktop ATX PSUs," but I am wondering if there is a way to tell if I can use a smaller PSU? I'm looking at getting this modular 400w ATX PSU or this modular 500w ATX PSU (but, I'll use these shorter cables)... or if it'll fit, this modular 350w TFX PSU that is quite a bit slimmer, which will be very helpful with fitting in my CPU heatsink/fan and overall help with case airflow. If I can't use a TFX PSU, I may need to get a small form factor CPU heatsink/fan, as the stock Intel one supposedly only fits with ~0.5" clearance at most... and that doesn't make me very comfortable in regards to keeping things super cool with great airflow.

So, basically, can anyone tell me if I can use a TFX PSU with the Cooler Master Elite 120 mITX case? And, if not, how can you tell? I am already aware the cutout int he back of the case wouldn't line up totally, but I can't help but feel that I could probably still attach the PSU somehow with a bit of extra work?
 

Xanathus

Member
Can I get recommendations on what's currently the most affordable GPU that is capable of running Skyrim with HD textures at 60 FPS, and GTA4 with the ENB mod? At first I was leaning towards the GTX560 but from my brief reading of the thread it sounds as if AMD cards are beating Nvidia's recently. I'm also probably going to get an i5 processor if that matters at all.

edit: I'm running a monitor at 1680 * 1050 resolution so I guess I won't need a (currently) top-end GPU.
 

Binabik15

Member
I got told to finally OC my i5 750 to play Dark Souls at high framerates, so I'm looking into buying an aftermarket cooler. I have a midi tower that used to be called Cooler Master Elite 335. Measurements 19,3x49,4x42,7 cm. Can't remember my mobo off the top of my head.

I put a Cooler Master 212 something, I think it was a plus, into my brothers pc and I'm not sure it'd fit into my case, but I'm not at my place, so I can't measure. Ordering today might mean that it is he monday, though, so I want to ask you guys.


And what the new hotness is, maybe. Is the Cooler Master 212 evo the replacement for the plus, because the store doesn't carry that anymore. It's 30€. Then there's a TX 3 evo, which is only 18€. Then there's Alpenföhn, Scyte, Noctua(lolmonster fan)! Everything. Just tell me what to buy to get a good, cheapish cooler to OC enough to run Dark Souls and other cpu heavy games. Buying from the store without the 212 plus which is still in the op builds is not a must, it's simply a store with a very good customer service when something goes wrong, so I like buying from them.



Edit: just saw that 7970 deal. 100€ less than the cheapest one here! Which is an OC windforce for 347€. Good thing that my case is small, I can't get jealous of cards that won't fit! I want to hold out for at least A!Ds next gen or better yet, their refresh. If they can make it that far.
 

Darte

Member
What do ya'll recommend for non SSD storage devices? Thinking of going with a 1TB 10kRPM velociraptor or a Caviar Black 2TB 7.2k RPM. I do video editing a lot so I'm wondering if that extra speed on the velociraptor might be worth it or not.
 

Forkball

Member
I have a dumb question. I want to put in more RAM. I have four slots on my mobo, two at different colors. I have two 2GB sticks in one color, but I wanted to put in two 4GB sticks in the other slots. Is this possible or does every stick have to be the same, even if they are in different color slots?
 

n0n44m

Member
Finally got my internal lighting done. Everything is now complete! Don't worry mkenyon they are dimmable, I only put them on blinding light mode for the photo.



last photos of this build I swear

very nice !

there's new software for the aquaero as well, finally out of beta :p

just keep in mind that it deletes all settings so you have to set it up all over again (well should take about 10 minutes if you remember your settings)

maybe exporting the current profile then importing after the update works, but I'd rather just set it up from scratch to be sure

What are the best mechanical keyboards out there?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458496 :)

I have a dumb question. I want to put in more RAM. I have four slots on my mobo, two at different colors. I have two 2GB sticks in one color, but I wanted to put in two 4GB sticks in the other slots. Is this possible or does every stick have to be the same, even if they are in different color slots?

no should work generally

the colors are probably just to indicate the channels --> every modern system has either dual, triple or quad channel RAM which means you have to put identical sticks in each of the identical colored slots to have optimal performance. But sizes between the sets of colored slots don't have to be the same :) just try to confirm that whatever memory you're buying (brand, speed, density/stick) is supported by your motherboard, although incompatibility issues seem pretty rare these days
 
If anyone's about to buy a new mid range GFX card, this is due to hit in the next 10days..maybe worth waiting for.

Radeon 7890...specs look quite nice

Memory Size: 3072 MB
Memory Type: GDDR5
Memory Bus: 384 bit
Bandwidth: 216.0 GB/s

Shading Units: 1536
TMUs: 96
ROPs: 32
Pixel Rate: 28.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 86.4 GTexel/s
Floating-point performance: 2,764.80 GFLOPS

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1860/AMD_Radeon_HD_7890.html


..could be a dog, could be the best price/performance card available before the new Radeon 88xx's hit next year.

Just a thought anyway...
 

kharma45

Member
If anyone's about to buy a new mid range GFX card, this is due to hit in the next 10days..maybe worth waiting for.

Radeon 7890...specs look quite nice

Memory Size: 3072 MB
Memory Type: GDDR5
Memory Bus: 384 bit
Bandwidth: 216.0 GB/s

Shading Units: 1536
TMUs: 96
ROPs: 32
Pixel Rate: 28.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate: 86.4 GTexel/s
Floating-point performance: 2,764.80 GFLOPS

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1860/AMD_Radeon_HD_7890.html


..could be a dog, could be the best price/performance card available before the new Radeon 88xx's hit next year.

Just a thought anyway...

I can't see the point of it, it'll be a bit of a miss like the 5830 was.
 

Binabik15

Member
Now how the shit do I install this Evo 212 beast? I can't make heads or tales of these directions.


Make sure you have the little wire clips the right way round via dry fitting, insert them into the fan and put one sidevover the heat sink, then use a bit of force and lots of swear words to get thevclip over the other side.

The metal cross part is easy when you know which position/form you need it to be for your socket.
 
Is there a displays thread around here? I need a 22" monitor with as wide viewing angles as possible (for films when training on my bike) and I have absolutely no idea what I should be looking for.
 

kharma45

Member
Is there a displays thread around here? I need a 22" monitor with as wide viewing angles as possible (for films when training on my bike) and I have absolutely no idea what I should be looking for.

Avoid TN monitors if you want the best viewing angles, instead look at IPS monitors which are pretty cheap now.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Now I'm doomed. I didn't realize they had an android/ios monitoring app.

Is there a displays thread around here? I need a 22" monitor with as wide viewing angles as possible (for films when training on my bike) and I have absolutely no idea what I should be looking for.

An IPS monitor is what you need. A TN will look washed out from angles.
 

Ty4on

Member
From TFT central's review of the Dell U2312HM. This is how good the viewing angles on IPS monitors are.
viewing_angles.jpg
And a pretty good TN. My two laptops have 16:10 TN displays and they are so bad the black bars on the top and bottom when watching films have a different color T.T
 

Jharp

Member
Should I orient the fan for my heatsink towards the back of the case or the front? If I choose the bank, it's almost directly parallel to the case's back fan, and if I choose front, it's adjacent to the disk drives. What do you guys say?
 

Ty4on

Member
Should I orient the fan for my heatsink towards the back of the case or the front? If I choose the bank, it's almost directly parallel to the case's back fan, and if I choose front, it's adjacent to the disk drives. What do you guys say?

Back. The air flow in 99% of all cases is from front/bottom to rear/top and the hard drives don't really need much cooling unless you have a ton of mechanical drives. The rear fan is so important that different rear fans can give different CPU temps.
 

Jharp

Member
Oh shit, you guys are all dicks. Holy shit, how many times did I ask you guys if you were certain that a mid tower would be big enough? And every one of you assured me it would be. I so knew I should have gotten a full tower. Anyone got any suggestion on how to make this one work, that doesn't involve buying a new goddamn case?

vidcardcase.jpg


How do you guys recommend me both the video card AND the case I bought, and they don't fucking work together? Welp, shit.

EDIT: Maybe I'm the dick, forgive me if so. Currently trying to disassemble drive cage to make it fit.

But still, if I have to remove part of the case to make the video card fit, effectively eliminating whole functionality designed into the case... then why the fuck didn't I just get a full tower case. At least I know for next time.
 

n0n44m

Member
"Offering four 5.25" bays, six 3.5"bays, and space for up to seven 2.5" drives, Raider can accommodate a bevy of hardware. Have an extremely long graphics card? No problem. Simply remove the specially-designed hard drive cage wall and install graphics cards up to 38cm in length!"
 

Jharp

Member
Okay, I'm an asshole. I'll take that. Forgive me PC gods of NeoGAF, I've been up all night, sleeping in 45-minute intervals when reaching moments where shit got too fucking stressful, like when my mobo wouldn't line up with the holes (my I/O panel wasn't in all the way) and when I got to assembling my heatsink (easier than it looked).

Let me be a lesson to other new builders.
 

Relix

he's Virgin Tight™
So far, 1 solid month with my recent rig...

3770K
16GB
670GTX OC Gigabyte

So, so, so so so so so so so so good. Once more, thanks for the suggestion guys. I am in PC Nirvana right now. Absolutely no problems at all, whatsoever, temps are very cool... just perfect.
 

coopolon

Member
So my e8400 rig is starting to have some problems. SATA ports not working, etc. So figure now is as good a time as any to upgrade.

Anything wrong with below parts? I already have a disc drive, 5870 that more than meets my current needs, SSD and HDDs, etc.


pcparts1xxxwe.jpg
 

longdi

Banned
For Z77, Asus is better than Asrock.
A lot of love for CM 212 but Xigmatek GAIA SD1283 is cheaper and perform as good.
Samsung 30nm value ram is best no-frills ram with some badass overclocking margins, very short with no flashy heatsink means less airflow blockage and easier heatsink choice.
buy a bigger psu, more quality that can last you through a few upgrade cycles. seasonic x750w is cheap on amazon...and running oos!

so far so good!
 

Ty4on

Member
Let me be a lesson to other new builders.

I don't want to be an ass, I understand it can be very frustrating when you're in a bad mood and something you have been looking forward to isn't working.

That said you can come a long way googling. Google the name of the case and it says:
Have an extremely long graphics card? No problem. Simply remove the specially-designed hard drive cage wall and install graphics cards up to 38cm in length!
Some have more info. Silverstone is pretty good at this and had this to say about their newest (and ugliest) microATX case, the SG09:
Expansion Card: Compatible up to 13.3” long, width restriction-5.70"
Limitation of CPU cooler: 165mm
Limitation of PSU: 180mm
Remark
* If you intend to utilize all hard drive slots, please remove all unused power supply cables.
These unused cables may cause problem with the installation. SSDs are highly recommended in place of hard drives.
* Maximum length for PSU is 180mm, we recommend 160mm due to varying connector locations on PSUs and the unique structure of SG09.
We do not promise that all retail PSUs on the market can be installed in the SG09. Please refer the guides provided in this manual to select your PSU.
You can find specs for different GPUs by again googling them and if you google "10 inches in cm" you'll get the answer right there.
 

coopolon

Member
For Z77, Asus is better than Asrock.
A lot of love for CM 212 but Xigmatek GAIA SD1283 is cheaper and perform as good.
Samsung 30nm value ram is best no-frills ram with some badass overclocking margins, very short with no flashy heatsink means less airflow blockage and easier heatsink choice.
buy a bigger psu, more quality that can last you through a few upgrade cycles. seasonic x750w is cheap on amazon...and running oos!

so far so good!

Hmm...in terms of PSU. The Seasonic is over double the price, at that price couldn't I just a buy a new PSU when I upgrade again? Unless it's so much more efficient I'd save the difference in price in terms of power consumption over 4 years.

I was planning on going with stock heatsink, althoug now I'm rethinking that. How much more room does the C212/SD1283 really buy me?

Also, why is Asus better than ASROCK? Reliability? Overclocking? Has worse reviews on Amazon.


Awesome, thanks.
 

longdi

Banned
psu is like the heart of your pc. you want a strong reliable one that lasts. i think seasonc x750 is worth double the price. the antec is a basic unit with over-rated power. i dont think you will save in power consumption to cover unless you 24/7 but your pc will be much safe! savings will come from x750 lasting you through more upgrade cycles...like you are planning for a new hd8970 next year..
550w? more like max 380w...before something something happens to it!
17-371-016-07.jpg



intel stock heatsink terrible if you are going for a z77 + k built. have you seen pics of it? so small, there is no place for it in a gamer's pc! sd1283 will bring tons more room!

asus z77 all use digital power while asrock advertised as digital but in reality is hybrid analog-digital. digital is easier for overclocking and tweaking your low idle states.
 

mkenyon

Banned
But still, if I have to remove part of the case to make the video card fit, effectively eliminating whole functionality designed into the case... then why the fuck didn't I just get a full tower case. At least I know for next time.
This is how mid towers work now, it's pretty much a standard feature on any non-budget case. Even budget cases like the Outlaw and 300R just do not have a middle HDD cage in order to fit large cards. It's so common, that I didn't think to tell you to do that.

In almost all cases, you want to remove the middle HDD bay anyway to increase airflow. It's just standard operating procedure.
 

mkenyon

Banned
buy a bigger psu, more quality that can last you through a few upgrade cycles. seasonic x750w is cheap on amazon...and running oos!

so far so good!
This long standing advice is outmoded. Power draw is going down, not up. The Antec BP550 is a great PSU with plenty of overhead to last. You could run a 3770K and 680 on it with room to spare. This is coming from a guy who only buys Seasonic.
 

Katoki

Member
Just wondering if I could have gotten away without having to return my card and if it was an error on my end.

- Plugged Gigabyte 670 straight in from my EVGA 670 FTW, no driver sweep and reinstall since they're both 670s.
- Above failed so did several sweeps and a reinstall of 670 drivers but the new points still remained:
- Card was not detected by system but was able to display at all resolutions with black borders on all sides when plugged into it and not the Intel IGP.
- Card had lines running horizontally and vertically in a slightly flashing manner. Kind of resembles rain on a windshield while driving but with straight lines.

Was it really a brand new dead card? Or did I just forget to do something?
 
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